R.O.C.K. the Brew

The Official SF Homebrew Competition & Tasting

Join hundreds of San Franciscans as we R.O.C.K. the Brew. This event features a homebrew competition & tasting, food, silent auction, raffle and music. Plus, 100% of proceeds benefit San Francisco nonprofit Real Options for City Kids (R.O.C.K).

R.O.C.K. the Brew is not your typical beer tasting event. Simply put, it is a way to sample beer in a social and interactive environment that happens to support a really great nonprofit. Not only will you try a variety of home and craft beers, but you will be able to take your chances on winning airline tickets in our raffle, bid on some outstanding silent auction items and meet some fellow beer enthusiasts.

Homebrewer sign up is now closed.

Competition Rules

Professional JudgesEvent staff will visit each brewer and receive a 5 oz sample for each judge to taste. Each sample will be labelled by style and number as to not reveal the brewer’s identity. Brews will be judged for aroma, appearance, mouth feel, and most importantly flavor. Brews will be selected to proceed to the next round based on scores. Samples will be collected again, and judges will decide on winners. Brewers will receive scorecards and feedback promptly from judges. Judges will include Mike Schnebeck, Head Brewer at Fort Point, and other representative of breweries around the bay area.

The People’s ChoiceDuring the event, attendees will be able to vote for their favorite brew. The winner of this category will be awarded the People’s Choice Award. Votes will be counted and the People’s Choice winner will be announced before the end of the event.

Judging

Two awards will be given out by our master judges, and one will be decided by popular choice during the event. Instead of separating our brews in categories by style, we will judge beers on ideological categories. The judges will award brewers who exemplify the casual and extreme themes below.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many beers can I submit?Each brewer will be allowed to submit one beer only. Each submission must meet the minimum 5 gallon batch requirement.

What size brew should I bring?The equivalent of a minimum 5 gallon batch. While not a requirement, bringing a larger batch will give you the chance to provide more tastes and potentially more votes from attendees. Buckets and ice will be provided.

What should I bring my beer in?You may bring your beer in whatever form you like ranging from bottles to kegs. You must bring your own tool for dispensing. Event coordinators will provide the glasses and cleaning stations for glasses, but you must provide your own bottle openers, taps, pumps, faucets, or dispensing handles.

The event will be providing buckets with ice to keep your beer cold and each attendee will have their own tasting glass for you to pour your beer into.

How do I decide what category to enter my beer in?Ultimately it is up to you. Would you characterize your beer as cool, calm, and collected, or does your beer play on the wild side? Style suggestions are just guidelines and not to be strictly followed. If you need help deciding, email or call Sarah at sarah@rocksf.org or (415) 890-6579.

2017 Homebrewers

Please read on to learn more about our competitors.

Name: Eric SchaeferName of Beer: Morena de MesillaType of Beer: Brown Ale with Pecans and Dulce de LecheBio: I grew up in the Bay Area and went to college in New Mexico where I developed a fondness for Mexican milk carmel candies called “Jamoncillo de Leche.” This is the first recipe I developed myself and the beer is a “slightly sweet, slightly spicy” homage to the New Mexico that I love and to the New Mexican that I love (my wife Tiffany hails from Las Cruces). I also own SF Adventure Tours, a sightseeing company that offers San Francisco city tours, Muir Woods and Marin County excursions, and beer and food tasting tours!Residence: San Francisco

Name: Christopher AlbrechtType of Beer: Belgian Strong Golden AleBio: I’ve been a San Franciscan for about a year now after serving in the Air Force, serving as a Police officer and contracting for the Department of States overseas. I started brewing about 9 years ago while I was deployed to Iraq where we had about 5 Mr. Beer kits fermenting in a closet at a time. After an 8 year break from brewing I picked it back up and have come a long ways from that Mr. Beer kit to all grain brewing with ECM and an amateur yeast lab.Residence: San Francisco

Name: Sami Rollins & Karlo BerketName of Beer: Ich bin…Type of Beer: Berliner WeisseBio: We started brewing in 2011 and are members of the San Francisco Homebrewers Guild. We enjoy both brewing and drinking a wide variety of beer styles and a couple of years ago became fond of sour beers in particular; so much so that we now have a small barrel program in our garage. We occasionally post on Instagram as @kasaberobrewResidence: San Francisco

Name: Vivek KrishnanType of Beer: TBDBio: I’m a marketing guru by day and homebrewer and whiskey enthusiast by night.Residence: San Francisco

Name: Beau FabryName of Beer: Balmy Days AleType of Beer: Blonde AleBio: This is the second beer I’ve brewed. I hope it does not taste bad.Residence: San Francisco

Name: Brian BlandType of Beer: TBDResidence: San Francisco

Name: Matt PembertonType of Beer: TBDBio: Born and raised in the Sunset district of San Francisco. I am currently the Director of the Sunset Neighborhood Beacon Center, one of nine Beacon Centers in San Francisco (including R.O.C.K.’s Vis Valley Beacon). I was introduced to brewing in college at SFSU. I have made many varieties of ales and subscribe to Charles Papazian’s motto: “Relax, have a homebrew.”Residence: San Francisco

Name: Dae AscarateName of Beer: Iron CastleType of Beer: IPABio: I’ve been brewing beer since 2009. My homebrew is called Dreadnaught named after overly alarmed battleships from the early 20th century. They were also known as steel or iron castles after which I have named two of my IPAs. I brew 12 different solid beers from Pilsners, Ales, Stouts, Belgiums, and the latest addition, a Maibock. Dreadnaughts are defined as fearless, thus my approach to brewing. “The Fearless Beer”Residence: San Francisco

Name: Benjamin WrightName of Beer: The King of HopType of Beer: Double IPABio: I started home brewing a few years ago and pretty much from the get-go I had the itch! My itch grew into a passion, so much so, that I decided to step into the commercial brewing industry. I now work full time as the Assistant Brewer at Mission Creek Brewing in San Jose, CA where we focus mainly on hop forward styles. Some ask if I still home-brew now that I make beer for a living and the answer is more than ever! My entry into this competition will be my 69th home-brew to date.Residence: Oakland

Name: Megan StoehrName of Beer: Pond ScumType of Beer: New England IPABio: I’m a New England native who moved to San Francisco in 2007. I started brewing in 2012, and over the past five years I’ve gone through phases, at times brewing twice a month, and at other times only brewing a few times a year. Brewing is a fulfilling hobby, and I love sharing my beers with friends and learning a little more with each batch I brew.Residence: San Francisco

Name: Keith KostName of Beer: Peach Milkshake IPAType of Beer: New England Style IPA with Peaches, Lactose, and Vanilla.Bio: Keith has been brewing for over 20 years and has won the California State Hombrewer of the Year award the last two years. He’s a master beer judge who enjoys brewing and drinking just about every style of beer. You can catch him on the Dr. Homebrew show on the Brewing Network.Residence: San Francisco

Name: Jordan SaizName of Beer: Cap’n RonType of Beer: SaisonBio: I’ve been brewing for about two years and am new to entering competitions. Originally, some friends and I purchased an extract brewing kit and a few barely passable beers later I was hooked. Now we brew once or twice a month and create our own recipes, switching between seasonal favorites and whatever we’re feeling like at the time.Residence: San Francisco

Name: Jalal ClemensName of Beer: Tropical Electric KissType of Beer: LagerBio: I started brewing about 4 years ago with a simple 5 gallon setup. I started brewing because I kept thinking of great combinations that I could not find commercially available. While I try to keep my brewing setup simple the flavors and combinations that I come out with are ones that generally cannot be found commercially elsewhere.Residence: San Francisco

Name: John WarnerName of Beer: Citra Dry Hopped Brettliner w/ sage & Myers LemonType of Beer: Dry Hopped Berliner Weisse with Brett Myer Lemon Zest and SageBio: Working non profit by day and behind the bar at night. Been home brewing for a little over 7 years focusing mostly sour, brett, & wild beers lately. Member of the SF Home brewers Guild for over a year.Residence: San Francisco

Silent Auction/Raffle

Our silent auction and raffle is always huge. Last year, items included an autographed ball by Steph Curry of the GS Warriors, a dream vacation for two to anywhere you’d like and United Airlines tickets. If you would like to donate for our silent auction/raffle, contact Sarah at sarah@rocksf.org or (415) 890-6587.

Premier Sponsor

Gold Sponsor

Beer Sponsor

Pre-Event Raffle

Want a chance to win some awesome prizes before R.O.C.K. the Brew and make a positive impact in the lives of our kids? For every $10 donation, you receive one entry into our pre-event Raffle and the chance to win prizes such as an official signed NBA basketball by Andre Iguodola of the GS Warriors and round trip United Airlines travel vouchers. All donations are tax deductible and 100% of proceeds support Real Options for City Kids.

We will always gladly accept contributions, but to be eligible for the drawing, be sure to donate by 5pm on Wednesday April 26th when we will be doing a Facebook Live video to select the winners! It could be you! If you aren’t lucky this time around you’ll have another chance to win more prizes at our Event Raffle at R.O.C.K. the Brew.

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